Chongwe recommends restoration of Barotseland but Sata says he is reluctant

February 23, 2012

President Michael Sata says he will be reluctant to recommend to Cabinet the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

President Michael Sata says this is because restoring the Barotseland agreement would cause the other native authorities in the country to rise up and demand secession a situation that would likely destabilize the country.

The president has also wondered why the Commission of inquiry into the Mongu riots has not indicated the benefits of restoring the Barotseland agreement.

President Sata was speaking at State house when the commission of inquiry constituted to investigate the Mongu riots of last year presented its report.

The President has also announced the dissolution of the local government service commission board.Earlier commission chairperson Roger Chongwe recommended that the constitution amendment of 1969 which nullifies the legitimacy of the Barotseland Agreement be repealed.Dr. Chongwe in his submissions to the President recommended that after the constitution amendment has been repealed, the government should then consider restoring the Barotseland agreement of 1964.

Dr. Chongwe also noted that the Mongu riots were caused by the failure by Zambia police to issue a permit to the people of western province who waited to have a peaceful meeting.He also observed that the abrogation of the Barotseland agreement has led to agitation among the Lozi speaking people because of high poverty levels.He further disclosed that the investigations also revealed that the police were very unprofessional in the manner in which they handled the riots and has since called on the government to consider investing in the non-lethal riot equipment.

Dr. Chongwe also observed that the former Vice president George Kunda lied to parliament when he justified the use of live ammunition by police during the riots and has since called for the prosecution of Mr. Kunda in line with parliamentary regulations.He further recommended that the people of western province be compensated by government for any loss all damage that they could have suffered.

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157 Responses to "Chongwe recommends restoration of Barotseland but Sata says he is reluctant"

Post newspaper of Jan 8, 2011: Barotse Agreement is valid-Sata
By George Chellah
Sat 08 Jan. 2011
“There is no honest person who can deny the existence and validity of the Barotse Agreement. And those with honour and integrity honour valid agreements they have entered into whether they still like them or not,” Sata said. “The PF government will honour the Barotse Agreement without hesitation because we have no problems with it. We see nothing wrong with it.”
Sata said the Barotse Agreement was not about secession but a higher and advanced form of national unity.
“How can an agreement that brought our country together as a unitary sovereign state, be seen to be a divisive instrument; to be about secession and treason?” Sata wondered. “The Barotse Agreement united and brought together what was not united; what was divided. It is an agreement that brought unity in diversity to our people and as such must be honoured and respected.”

Sata, Feb 2012
We will read the document but I will be very reluctant to advise my Government to reinstate the Barotseland agreement,” President Sata said.
Shame on you Cobra, you are letting us down!! How can you so lightly contradict yourself? It is not only Lozis seeing your lies. Dialogue, please… in Jan 2011 you seem to understand that restoration of the Barotseland Agreement was not about secession. How can you get a different idea today? I really hope the COI report be accessible to the ordinary Zambians. I wish more lawyers and professors would enlighten Zambians (beginning with the President!) on the meaning of restoring the Agreement… which has nothing to do with secession, but with unity, development and appreciating the diversity of the peoples of Zambia!!

warthog February 25, 2012 at 09:42

is it true more people died than the media reported,is it true some people disappeared.shame,God will judge them harshly for shedding innocent poor blood and the lord will turn the houses into places of everlating mourning.their actions shall follow them.God knows no tribalism and faviouratism.he will surely make them drink the cup of their wrath.

Lot know that even the Aparhed white government in South Africa made law to oppress the black pipo who were the citizen of that country.To day those laws are no longer there.South Africa is liberated despite of the strong Army and police.Many pipo died, maimed and burried but in 1990 God,s will prevailed.To day the blacks have got their land at a cost dont think BA 64 will die a natural death that is the mistake you are making.Restoration may not be today nor in our time but it will hapen one day that i can asure you.Who knew that one day PF wil come to power and to day Mr sata is the president of Zambia.Mr sata slept in the remotest rural of this country with mosquitoes biting him.Chnda chimba came with programmes scanderizing Mr Sata but that did not work.similarly one day BA64 will be restored as we head in Dr chongwe ‘s report about 19 died and many injured.Those pipo who died dont think their blood will be in vain God will one day restore what they stood for.

Lot February 24, 2012 at 21:16

Promises for the restoration of the BA64 at presidential election campaigns haven’t been uttered by HEMCS alone, but this has been promised by all former Zambian Presidents starting with KK at the time of our independence. It is a political gimmick which every aspiring president has to perform in order to win support and hence votes in Western Province. The BA64 restoration is synonymous to a blackjack in a casino game!

In the first place the BA64 was signed by Kaunda, then Prime Minister of Northern Rhodesia – on behalf of his government and Mwanawina Lewanika III, then Litunga of Barotseland – on behalf of himself and his subjects. Duncan Sandys, then Principal Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and for the colonies,
also signed it.

Prior to our independence in October 1964, Kaunda made this assurance regarding the permanency of the BA64 in a speech he made in Lealui on the 6th of August 1964. This speech was made in the presence of the Litunga, his chiefs and the people of Barotseland, “ I can give an absolute assurance that the customary rights in land in Barotseland will remain with the Litunga and National Council, and the District Heads of Kutas. Government is satisfied that Government requirements for land for development projects in Barotseland will receive the active co-operation of the Barotse Government.”

The Litunga had as much powers as President Kaunda. KK was not comfortable with this arrangement and just after independence in 1964, it was time for KK to go to work. He systematically eroded the BA64 through a series of legislative measures like;
1. The 1965 Local Government Act that repealed the Barotse Native Authority Ordinance and thereby abolished the Barotse National Council.
2. The 1966 Local Courts Act that repealed the Barotse Native Courts Ordinance and changed the judicial functioning of the indigenous courts in the province.
3. The 1969 Mines and Minerals Act which deprived the ‘Litunga’ of his mineral rights which were inherent in agreements with the British South African Company.
4. The 1969 Constitution of Zambia Amendment Act (No. 5).
5. The Western Province Land and Miscellaneous Provisions Act (No. 47) which took away the
Litunga’s powers over land, forests, fishing, wildlife and vested them in the PRESIDENT.

And finally KK had the BA64 abrogated in 1969. The man was very busy. Kaunda is the masterminder and the rest of his cohorts are still learning how to perfect this skill.

Can all these Acts be repealed? Or do we need another referendum in order to reverse all these legislatures.
Learned lawyers help me answer these questions because the COI is not the best approach so far.

The people of Zambia read the BA 64 is not saying on 24th October 1964 Barotseland would secede from Zambia.Why are you accusing the pipo of Barotseland for nothing.What is self autonomous? It is not declaring Barotseland a Republic but local government administration which i feel is the best in this country where other tribes will never rule.We have seen that even the Government they have created autonoumus bodies such as ZRA, ZDA,parliament,councils etc you tell me that the president has no auhtority on these institutions?Even if Barotseland Agreement is restored who says the President will not priside over the affairs of Barotseland.The Presidential and parliamental elections if they are held in Barotseland the pipo will still vote the president of Zambia.We have one parliament in Zambia and this parliament belongs to Barotseland as well.

Y2K February 24, 2012 at 17:10

you see now balikani ba aka. Chanda chimba lll used to tell but you never used to believe him and you thought he was there to make money. Mu ba ke. You are the same people who wanted change, it this the change you were looking for.